Kennel closure



C. E. POOVEY KENNEL CLOSURE July 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24. 1949 f/42455 6- Pa 0 vs);

IN V EN TOR c. E'. PQOVEY KENNEL CLOSURE July 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1949 V F 53 53 T cl/AZLES f. oo var,

IN V EN TOR ATTOEA/EK Patented July 17, 195i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KENNEL CLOSURE Charles E. Poovey, Charlotte, N. 0.

Application January 24, 1949, Serial No. 72,335

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to kennels, or any other type of animal enclosures having an opening therein through which an animal may be free to pass and repass and more especially to a closure for the said opening and means for securing said closure to the kennel or the like to cover the opening.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a closure for an opening of a kennel or the like comprising a rectangular framework defining an opening in which a fabric sheet is disposed, the fabric sheet being split from the upper to the lower end of the framework and the proximate portions of the fabric sheet overlapping each other and their proximate portions having hems therein in which are disposed coiled springs the upper end of which are fixed to the upper portion of the framework and the lower ends of the coiled springs being flush with the upper edge of the lower portion of the framework and as the animal pushes against the junction points of the fabric sheets, the coiled springs will be spread apart from each other along with the proximate portions of the fabric sheets, thus permittin the animal to pass therethrough, after which the coiled springs tend to assume their-normal vertical pending positions which will again close the opening through which the animal has passed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a main framework of the type described and which has an auxiliary framework hingedly secured to the lower portion thereof and releasably secured at the opposite side thereof to the main framework. Between the main framework and the auxiliary framework the edges of the fabric material may be clamped, thereby permitting for ease of replacement of the fabric material in the event that it becomes worn or decayed or for laundering purposes or for any other reason.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an isometric view of the kennel or the like showing the improved closure member applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the closure member with parts broken away and showing a portion of the frontwall ofthe kennel to which the closure is secured;

sure member and omitting the fabric material from the same; v

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view being taken substantially along the line 5-5 in Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings numeral l0 broadly designates a kennel, or any other type of animal enclosure of which a side wall H, a front wall 12 and a roof l3 are visible in Figure 1. The front wall 12 has a substantially rectangular opening 13 therein (Figure 3) and it is this opening l3 that this closure member, to be presently described, is adapted to close.

The numeral 20 broadly designates the closure member comprising side rails 2i and 22 and upper and lower rails 23 and 24, respectively. The side rails and the upper and lower rails may be one piece or they may be joined together in any suitable manner as desired.

The upper rail 23 has a thickened portion 25 extending longitudinally at the upper edge thereof and the lower rail 24 is of the same thickness as the thickened portion of the rail 23, the side rails 2| and 22 being of the same thickness as the thin portion of the top rail 23. An auxiliary framework comprising side rails 30 and 3| and an upper rail 32 is adapted to be secured against the side rails 2| and 22 and the thin portion of the upper rail 23, by means to be later described.

The lower ends of the side rails 3i) and 3! of the auxiliary framework are hingedly secured as at 33 to the bottom rail 24. The side rails 30 and 3| each has a slot 35 therein and the upper rail 32 has a slot 33 adjacent each end thereof. The side rails 2i and 22 and the upper rail 23 are adapted to be slidably penetrated by screws 3'! which project a substantial distance forwardly of the front surface of the side rails 2 l and 22 and the thin portion of the upper rail 23. When the auxiliary framework is swun into a closed position against the fixed framework the screws 31 loosely penetrate the slots 35 and 36 in the auxiliary framework.

However, before the auxiliary framework, comprising members 30, 3| and 32 is swung into closed position, sheets of fabric material 40 and 4| are mounted against the side rails 2| and 22 and the thin portion of the upper rail 23, these sheets of fabric material being cut away at their outer edges as at 43 to clear the screws 31. It will be noted that the side rails 23 of the fixed framework are provided with longitudinally extending grooves 45 while the side rails 30, 3| and the upper rail 32 of the auxiliary framework are provided with projections extending longitudinally of each of these said last-named members and which coincide with the grooves 45 in the members 2|, 22 and 23.

By referring to Figures 3 and it may be observed that when theauxiliary frame, comprising members 30,31 and 32, is swung into position against the fixed frame, comprising members 2|, 22 and 23, the outer and upper portions of the sheets of fabric material 40 and 4| are interlocked by the coinciding grooves 45 and the projections 46 in the fixed frame member and the auxiliary frame member respectively. It is thus seen that the sheets of fabric material '40 and 4| are locked between the fixed frame mem ber and the auxiliary frame member andeach of the screws 31 is provided with a wing nut 41 which may be driven homeafter the frames'and the sheets of fabric material are assembled. H

Now, when it is necessaryto replace the sheets of fabric material 40 and 4|, for any reason, it is merely necessary to loosen the 'wing nuts 41, swing the auxiliary frame, comprising members 3|), 3| and 32, outwardly at its upper end and then the sheets of fabric material '40 and ll may be easily removed or replaced.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 it will be noted that the proximate portions of the sheets of fabric'nia'terial 4|)"and 4|, overlap' each other and are hemmed at their free edges by a line of stitches 49 thus'forming tubular portions 55 and 5|, re spectively. Secured, as at 53, to the upper rail 23 of the fixedframeworkare theupper en'dsof coiled springs54 and 55. These coiled springs 54 and 55 are preferably 'of 'a flat 'w'ire material. However, it is to be understood that any "type of coiled spring may be used in this structure.

'In assembling thesheets of fabric material 40 and 4| to the closure member 29, the tubular portions 50 and 5| of the'respective sheets'of fabric material 45 and 4| are slid upwardly around the lower ends of the coiled springs 54'and 55, respectively, until the sheets 4|! and 4| assume the positions shown in Figure 2 and it is thus seen that the coiled springs 54 and 55 are surrounded by the tubular portions 50 and 5| of the sheets of fabric material 40 and 4|, respectively. The lower ends of the coiled springs54 and 55 terminate a slight distance above the top edge of the bottom rail 24 thus leaving the bottom ends of the coiled springs 54 and'55 free to move inwardlyand out wardly with respect to the closure 2|].

To facilitate the mounting of this closure member 20 on the front wall l2 of the kennel l0, upper and lower'horizontally disposed bars 57 and 58, respectively, are secured in any suitable manner to the front walls of the kennel H], these members 57 and 58 being spaced apart from each other a distance equal to the length from the upper end to the lower end of the closure member 20. The thickened portion 25 of "the upper rail 23 of thefixed framework has plates 60 secured to' the front surface thereof as byscrews BI and the upper portions of these plates 50 project above the upper surface of the rail 23'a nd are 'slotted as at -62 to slidably receive a hooked 4 portion 63 of a plate 64 secured as by screws 65 to the upper bar 57, as a result of which the closure member 20 depends from the bar 51.

The lower bar 58 is provided with turn buttons 1|] oscillatably secured as at II to the same and these turn buttons 70 serve to lock the closure member 20 against the front wall l2 of the kennel In, it being understood that the size of the opening l3 will be somewhat smaller than the over all size of the closure member 25.

In order to prevent a larger animal than desired from passing through the opening defined by the closure member 25, a horizontally disposed cross bar 14 is provided, as well as vertically disposed bars 15, the barsf|5 being spaced apart from each other any desired distance to accommodate the size animal that it is desired shall pass through the closure member 2!]. Op- ;posite ends of the cross bar 14 are secured, as by screws 16, to the side rails 30 and 3| and opposite endsof the vertically disposed rods 15 are secured, as by screws 11, to the upper cross bar 32 and the lower rail 24, it being understood that these rods 14 and 15 may be secured at each end thereof in any desired position to accommodate the si ze of animal that it is desiredshall pass through the openin'gin the closu'rememberzo. H

Now, when an annimal'desires to pass through the opening in thecl'osure 20, the animal merely has to bumpits head against the canvas sheets 45 and 4|, preferably at their junction points and they will be spread apart from each other at their lower ends sufficiently to permit the animal topa'ss through theopeiii ng and, after the animal haspa'ssed through the opening in the closure 25, the'coiled springs 54 and 55 will inhermay cause the proximate portions of the sheets of f abric material 40 and 4| to assume their original position,, This will be the case regardless of whichdirectionthe animal passes between the proximate portions 'of the sheets of fabric material 40 and4 I, Itis thus seenjthat I have provided a closure member for animal kennels and the like which may be mounted on the same which may be operated by'the animal, which is a particularly favorable feature during 'cold weather.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a' prefer'i'ed embodimeht'of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive 'sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope 'of the invention being defined inthe claim;

n a v.

I A' closure member for openingsin kennels and the like comprising "a framework, a pair of sheets of fabric material, the proximate edges of'which overlap each other, 'ineans'forsecuring the top edge of th e sheets of j'f'abric material to the framework at the I top edge of' the opening inthe kennel, thelqwer en'ds of'the' sheets being free to swing in anyffd'ire'ction, the overlapping portion or the sheets of fabric material being hemmed toth'us form tubular portions atthe proximate edges thereof, a coiled spring mounted within the hemmed'portion of each of said sheets of fabrie'inate ri'al," the nembf one sheet of fabricrnater'ialbe'ing"disposed in overlapping relation to the hem in the other sheet of fabric material, means securing the upper ends of said coiled springsjto the top, port-m tt the framework atspaced points' disposed along the axes of the springs so that the coiled springs will depend from the upper wall of said opening, the lower ends of the coiled springs being free for swinging movement, whereby upon the proximate edges of the sheets of fabric material being engaged by the nose of an animal they will be forced apart from each other to permit the animal to pass therebetween and whereby, upon the animal having passed between the proximate edges of the sheets of fabric material the weight of the coiled springs will urge the proximate edges of the sheets of fabric material to original overlapping position.

CHARLES E. POOVE-Y.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

